The 64-year-old chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is facing fallout from allegations that her husband, Pete Hill, sexually harassed at least five women he came into contact with through an honorary, unpaid but high-profile role he was given because his wife leads the university.

One woman, now a Whitewater Common Council member, brought allegations forward after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported a week ago that Hill had been found responsible for several sexual assault allegations against him, and that he was quietly banned from campus and stripped of an unpaid, honorary role to help his wife with fundraising and campus events last summer.

Whitewater Common Council member Stephanie Vander Pas is accusing Hill of sexually assaulting her by reaching under her skirt and touching her sexually when he hugged her outside a coffee house two years after she graduated from UW-Whitewater. She also says he sexually harassed her while she was a student senate leader who repeatedly encountered him at campus events and fundraising dinners.

In the context of the national #MeToo movement to hold men accountable for sexual harassment and misconduct, this case is unusual in that two of Hill's accusers and a state senator are calling on his wife to resign from leading the university as a result of his alleged sexual misconduct.

There's not much middle ground between calls for her resignation and support for her to keep her job, but there are lots of questions that have not been publicly answered.

A UW System spokeswoman said she could not comment on anything about the case because of the ongoing investigation.

Here's an analysis of five key factors, based on several interviews, as allegations and an investigation by the UW System into the newest allegations unfold:

1. The chancellor has conflicting interests.

As chancellor, Kopper acknowledges that her top priority must be to ensure "UW-Whitewater is a welcoming campus for all and that students, faculty and staff have a positive and safe environment in which to learn, live and work."

As a wife, she also has a personal stake in the allegations leveled against her husband by university employees and former students he knew through her leadership role on campus and his ceremonial role as Associate to the Chancellor.

"It's a hell of a game of Twister," one campus observer noted.

"As you can imagine, this is a challenging and unique set of circumstances for me as a wife, as a woman, and as your chancellor," Kopper told her campus in an email a week ago.

2. A woman is being asked to resign because of the actions of her husband.

Kopper hasn't publicly defended her husband.

But in July, after Hill was banned from campus by UW System President Ray Cross at the conclusion of an investigation into claims against him by two female employees, Kopper raised questions about the investigation findings.

No information about those questions has been publicly released, and neither has anything about her interview with the investigator who looked into the accusations.

"The decision you made was put into effect immediately," Kopper wrote to Cross in July. "As chancellor, I support your decision. As you may know, however, I do have concerns regarding certain statements of facts and interpretations made by the investigator in the report."

Said Erin Hennessy, vice president at TVP Communications in Washington, D.C., which counsels colleges and universities about public relations and crisis management:

"I'm not sure we would treat a man in this position the same way — ask the same questions and push for his resignation," Hennessy said. "There's her responsibility to create a safe, respectful learning and work environment for faculty and staff.

"But at the same time, 'Put your relationship in front of all of us. We need you to know everything about your husband and what he's doing.' It's a dynamic placed at the feet of women leaders that's not placed on men," Hennessy said.

3. What don't we know because information is limited?

There's a lot we don't know, including what actually happened between Hill and the women who have accused him, and what kind of pressure is being applied behind the scenes to either force her resignation or preserve her job.

"It all comes down to what Ray Cross will do, and who's pressuring him to do what," Hennessy said.

She said women are in "incredibly difficult" positions, whether they are the accused or the spouse. "There's the backside of why didn't you report it sooner?" Hennessy said.

Is it possible the chancellor didn't know that her husband was acting inappropriately?

Is it possible she knew, but didn't want to know?

There could be legal ramifications for the university if Kopper and other university employees knew about Hill's alleged behavior and didn't report it. Universities have mandatory reporting requirements for any sexual misconduct directed toward students.

4. Should a chancellor's spouse be vetted and given a clearly defined role?

The traditional and still prevalent practice in presidential searches is to include the partner late in the process, Lovett wrote. Once the preferred candidate has been identified, the search committee typically invites them to visit the community.

That practice has become "untenable," Lovett wrote, arguing the spouse needs to be included in negotiations, with clearly defined roles negotiated.

Lovett, the president emeritus of Northern Arizona University, said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel that perhaps spouses and partners should be closely scrutinized, too.

A partner may be checked for a criminal record, but sexual misconduct is not typically part of a background check, she said.

"It really has not been discussed in the context of a presidential spouse," she said. "Typically, they are in roles where they don't have much opportunity to act inappropriately with students or staff."

5. Can the chancellor weather the storm, and will she want to?

One critical question is whether Kopper's chancellorship has been tarnished by association.

Declining enrollment, a challenging political climate for UW System campuses and delicate alumni relations for private fundraising are all factors to consider.

"I imagine she's thinking about whether she can successfully lead the institution," said Hennessy, the crisis communications expert. "I'm hoping she's using a lens of the long-term best interests of the institution. I think that would help her, whether or not continuing the position as chancellor is tenable."

If she is going to fight to stay, Hennessy said, "Her to-do list should include: How can I rebuild trust both with internal stakeholders and external stakeholders, such as lawmakers and alumni."

Said Hennessy: "I understand people are going to raise questions about her relationship with her husband, and only she can answer that."

Lovett said Kopper must be certain she wants to continue under the circumstances.

"Is someone in that situation willing to ride it out, based on what she has accomplished and based on her reputation?" Lovett said. "The trustees clearly have to decide can we all ride this out and is she still the person we want and have confidence in to carry on?"

She said it's a tough situation for the chancellor.

"Does she want to ride through the storm and find a way to re-establish her position?

"It has everything to do with how she thinks about her job and what she thinks about the relationship with her husband," Lovett said.